One method of stress management is the use of drugs. There are two types of drugs the benzodiazepines (BZs) and the betablockers (BBs).
The BZs, like Valium work by increasing the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA. GABA increases chloride ions into the neurons making it more difficult for neurotransmitters to stimulate them so it slows down the activity of the activity of the central nervous system. This reduces anxiety and leads to a feeling of calm.
Bzs work very fast so it makes them suitable for emergency situations, however they are very addictive so can only be prescribed for two weeks at a time. They also have side- effects like for example they lead to memory loss and if an overdose is taken it can lead to respiratory arrest.
The Betablockers block the adrenaline receptors which are mainly situated in the heart and the large blood vessels. So when adrenaline is produced by the adrenal medulla as a response to a situation perceived as a stressor the blood pressure does not increase and the heart rate remain stable.
The BBs do not cause addiction but if taken for a long period of time they can cause diabetes type 2, they can also make people tired and lead to hallucinations. Lau et al. (1992) carried out a meta-analysis and found that they were effective in reducing blood pressure.
However drugs are emotion focused therapies unlike psychological therapies like CBT they do not teach the patients skills to deal with the stressors so when they stop the treatment the symptoms reappear. However they can give the time for patients to deal with the stressors directly or learn new skills.
An alternative to these biological treatments is stress inoculation therapy (SIT) which works by teaching patients new skills to deal with the stressor. It takes 6-8 weekly sessions so it is more time consuming and expensive than drugs but it has no side-effects and once people have new skills they can use them in other situations so its effects are long-lasting.